Dual-purpose belt

ABSTRACT

A dual-purpose orthopedic belt including a back pad with stays therein, a band or bands affixed to the back pad to be wrapped about the pelvic region of a person with the back pad abutting against the back of the person at his lumbosacral area and fastened together in front, and one or more elongated removable straps affixed to the belt for connection to a pulling device. The belt may be used with the stays removed from the back pad as a pelvic traction belt, and may also be used with the stays in the back pad and the straps removed from the belt as a lumbosacral support. The straps may be designed for single pull or double pull applications when the belt is used as a pelvic traction belt. The bands may be elastic, and the back pad may have a soft removable liner.

United States Patent [72] lnventor RoberlWKilbey R0. Box 345, DeFuniak Springs, Fla. 32433 [21] AppLNo. 760,226 [22] Filed Sept. 17,1968 [45] Patented Feb. 9, 1971 [54] DUAL-PURPOSE BELT 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 128/75, 128/78 [51] A61h 1/02 [50] FieldofSearch l28/75,78, 157,155

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,104,699 l/l938 ODell 128/78 2,730,096 l/1956 Pease 128/78 3,167,068 1/1965 Carr 128/75 3,452,747 7/1969 Varco 128/75 OTHER REFERENCES DePuy Fracture Appliances, Copyright 1964 received in Group 330. May 12. 1966 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko Attorney-John H. Oltman ABSTRACT: A dual-purpose orthopedic belt including a back pad with stays therein, a band or bands affixed to the back pad to be wrapped about the pelvic region of a person with the back pad abutting against the back of the person at his lumbosacral area and fastened together in front, and one or more elongated removable straps affixed to the belt for connection to a pulling device. The belt may be used with the stays removed from the back pad as a pelvic traction belt, and may also be used with the stays in the back pad and the straps removed from the belt as a lumbosacral support. The straps may be designed for single pull or double pull applications when the belt is used as a pelvic traction belt. The bands may be elastic, and the back pad may have a soft removable liner.

PATENTED FEB sum sum 2 or 2 FIG. 6,

INVEN H JR.

ROBERT KILBEY ATT'Y.

1 DUAL-PURPOSE BELT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pelvic traction is often prescribed for persons with back injuries or other back problems. To apply the traction, the patient wears a pelvic traction belt which is wrapped about his pelvic region and has'straps which are connected to a pulling device. The pulling device is mounted at the foot of a bed and ordinarily has weights which pull the straps and therefore pull the pelvic traction belt toward the feet of the patient, thus pulling the patients pelvic structure to stretch the spine. This may, by way of example, relieve spasm in the patients back.

If pelvic traction solves the problem, the pelvic traction belt is of no use to the patient after the treatment is terminated. However, it often happens that the patient needs support for the back in the lumbosacral area even after pelvic traction is terminated. For this purpose, the patient must obtain and wear a support belt, sometimes known as a lumbosacral support belt. In some cases, the support belt must be made specifically for him at a center supplying orthopedic appliances.

Although in some cases a pelvic traction belt is the only appliance needed, and in other cases a support belt is the only appliance needed, the situation described above wherein both such appliances are needed occurs quite often.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an orthopedic belt capable of serving both as a pelvic traction belt and a support belt. This desirably eliminates any need for the patient to buy two separate belts where both pelvic traction and support are required. In a particular embodiment, the belt includes a back pad and a band or bands affixed thereto so that the belt may be wrapped around the pelvic region of a patient and fastened at the front. Pockets are formed in the back pad, and rigid stays are provided in the pockets. The pockets are openable at one end so that the stays can be removed from them. One or more straps are affixed to the belt and extend transversely from it so that the strap or straps may be attached to a pulling device. When the belt is used for pelvic traction, the stays are removed from the pockets, and the straps are attached to the pulling device so that the belt pulls the pelvic region of the patient toward his feet to stretch the spine. When the pelvic traction treatment is terminated and the patient stillneeds support, an attendant or the patient puts the stays back in the pockets and removes the pulling straps, thus converting the belt to a support belt.

Preferably, the band or bands which wrap around the patient are elastic material which stretches and conforms to the shape of the person's body. A fabric fastener may be provided at the ends of the belt, and this, together with the elasticity of the belt, makes it possible for a belt of given dimensions to cover a substantial size range such that only a few sizes of belts are needed. The back pad may be provided with a soft flexible linerwhich provides a soft surface to contact the patients body, protects the back pad from soiling, and is removable to permit replacement of a soiled liner while it is laundered. The back pad may be of a double-layered construction with the layers being sewn together to form pockets for the stays, and the stays may be curved in a particular manner to conform to the body as will be described.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provicle an orthopedic belt for both traction and support applicatrons.

Another object of the invention is to provide an orthopedic belt which may be easily converted from a pelvic traction belt to a support belt.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dual-purpose orthopedic belt as described in the foregoing objects capable of fitting a substantial size range.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dual-purpose orthopedic belt having a back pad with a removable liner permitting easy interchanging of liners.

Among the otherobjects of the invention are to provide a dual-purpose orthopedic belt which is as comfortable as possible considering the circumstances; which is manufacturable economically; which will have a reasonably long useful life; and which is useful for both double-pull and single-pull pelvic traction applications.

Other objects of this' invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several vievvs.

ON THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the inside of an orthopedic belt in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

' FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the outside of the belt of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 shows a protective liner for the pad of the belt;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the outside of an orthopedic belt which may be used for double-pull traction applications; and I FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the inside of the belt of FIG.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS:

Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, the orthopedic belt 10 serves as both a single-pull pelvic traction belt and a lumbosacral support belt. The belt includes a back pad generally designated 12 which is generally rectangular in configuration, although the sides 14 and I6 taper inwardly slightly from bottom to top.

The layers of material which make up back pad 12 are shown in FIG. 3. There is a layer of duck or canvas material 18 at the outside of the back pad, and a layer 20 of felt is sewn to duck layer ;18 to form the generally rectangular back pad 12 As shown in FIG. 2, layers 18 and 20'are stitched along the dashed lines 22 to form four pockets 24, 26, 28 and 30, these pockets being elongated and extending transversely of back pad 12. Inside of each of these pockets there is rigid stay 32, preferably made of steel, which brace the pack pad. Stay 32 is shown in FIG. 3 inside pocket 30, and it may be seen that pocket 30 is open at the top end 34 thereof, except that the opening is covered by a removable liner 36. Thus, by removing the liner, stay 32 is accessible at top end 34 of pocket 30 and can be removed from the pocket. Each of the other pockets is constructed in the same manner.

Stay 32 is a narrow strip of metal which is curved convexly between its middle and its top end as viewed in FIG. 3 and which is curved concavely between its middle and its bottom end as viewed in FIG. 3. When the belt is worn as a support belt, liner 36 contacts the back of the person at his lumbosacral area, and the curvature of the stays gives the back pad 12 the same curving shape as the stays so that the back pad conforms to the curvature'of the body in the vicinity of the lumbosacral area.

Liner 36 is generally rectangular like the whole pad 12,

although it also has slightly tapered sides 40 and 42, Female snaps 44 are provided at the top and bottom edges of liner 36, and the end portions of liner 36 where snaps 44 are located bend around the top and bottom edges of layers 18 and 20. The female snaps 44 fasten on to male snaps secured to and projecting through layers 18 and 20 in the usual manner, the

male snaps not being visible.

Affixed to the outside of duck layer l8 is a strap 46 which extends transversely from back pad 12. The portions of strap 46 contacting layer 18 may be stitched thereto. Strap 46 passes through a D-ring 48, and the D-ring may be connected by any suitable strap to a pulling device, as will be described funher.

Four elongated bands 50, 52, 54 and 56 of elastic material are afiixed to back pad 12 with bands 50 and 52 extending from side 16 of the back pad and bands 54 and 56 extending from side 14 of the back pad. The inner ends of these bands may be sewn to duck layer 18 near edges 14 and 16. The bands together with back pad 12 from a belt which can be wrapped around the pelvic region of a person with back pad 12 abutting against his lumbosacral area. At end 58 of the belt a pad 60 of pile material for a fabric fastener is sewn to bands 54 and 56. Pad 60 is on the inside of the belt. At the opposite end 62 of the belt, a pad 64 of hooking material for a fabric fastener is stitched to bands 50 and 52. Thus, when belt 10 is wrapped about a person the pile 60 may be placed in contact with the hooking material 64 to secure ends 58 and 62 together. The hooking material 64 is fairly wide, and this allows a considerable adjustment in the circumference of the belt so that a single belt is useful over a fairly wide size range. Since the bands 50, 52, 54 and 56 are made of elastic material, they readily conform to the shape of the wearer, and they also contribute to the size adjustability.

An auxiliary fastening means is provided in the form of straps 66 and 68 which are sewn to side 16 of duck layer 18 and straps 70 and 72 which are sewn to side margin 14 of duck layer 18. These straps .extend through loops 74, and the ends of straps 70 and 72 are free whereas the ends of straps 66 and 68 have buckles 76 and 78 thereon. Thus, straps 66 and 70 may be buckled together and straps 68 and 72 may also be buckled together, these straps then being drawn tight to cinch the belt 10.

In a typical usage of the belt 10 where the patient is in a hospital for pelvic traction, an orderly removes the stays 32 from the pockets 24, 26, 28 and 30 and places them in the patients night table. The belt is wrapped around the patient and fastened, and with the patient lying on the bed, the D-ring 48 is connected to a pulling device mounted at the foot of the bed by a separate strap not shown which is a standard item in hospitals. The force applied by the pulling device on strap 46 pulls the pelvic area toward the feet of the patient to stretch the spine, and in doing so, usually partially lifts the patient off the bed. The patient must remain in this position continuously. in case of urination, the liner 36 protects the rest of the back pad 12. The liner provides a soft surface which nonabrasively contacts the skin of the patient. It may be removed and replaced with a clean liner while the original liner is laundered.

After the traction treatment is terminated, and assuming that the patient needs lumbosacral support, the belt 10 is converted to a lumbosacral support belt. This is done by inserting the stays 32 back into the pockets 24, 26, 28 and 30, and cutting ofi the portion of strap 46 which is not sewn to back pad 12. The patient can then take the belt 10 home with him without any need for making up'a special support belt.

H65. and 6 show a belt 80 which is very similar to the belt of FIGS. 1-4, and consequently like reference numerals are used for like parts. The only diiTerence is that two pulling straps 82 and 84 are fastened to belt 80 so that the belt 80 may be used for double-pull traction applications. Ends 86 and 88 of belts 82 and 84 respectively are sewn to duck layer 18. The other ends 90 and 92 of belts 82 and 84 respectively are looped through slide buckles 84 and 96 which are attached to anchoring straps 98 and 100 sewn respectively to bands 50 and 54. Buckles 94 and 96 include slidable bars 102 and 104 about which end portions 90 and 92 are looped, and as viewed and 84 are removed from buckles 94 and 96, and a D-rin like ring 48 is attached to each of the straps. End portions and 92 are then again fastened to buckles 94 and 96. Separate straps are connected to the D-rings and to the pulling device so that the pulling device applies two pulling forces to belt when it is in use for pelvic tractionv When belt 80 cutting to be used for support, the stays 32 are placed in the pockets 24, 26, 28 and 30, and the portions of belts 82 and 84 not sewn to back pad 12 are cut off. The buckles 94 and 96 may also be removed by cutting belts 98 and 100.

Thus, a versatile orthopedic belt has been provided which is capable of serving as a pelvic traction belt and also as a support belt. The belt is easily converted. It can be manufactured economically, and has a durable construction such that it should last for a reasonable length of time in use.

lclaim:

l. A dual-purpose orthopedic belt comprising a back pad having first and second layers stitched along parallel lines forming a plurality of elongated pockets in said pad extending transversely of said pad, elongated relatively stiff stays in said pockets for bracing said pad, said stays comprising rigid strips curved conversely between the middle and one end thereof and curved concavely between the middle and the other end thereof to cause said pad to conform to the back of a person at the lumbosacral area, said pockets being open at an upper end thereof to allow said stays to be removed from said pockets, elastic band means affixed to said back pad and extending from opposite marginal sides thereof transversely of said stays so that said band means and said back pad form a belt adapted to be wrapped about the pelvic region of a person with said back pad abutting against the back of the person at his lumbosacral area, said elastic band means being stretchable to conform to the body of the wearer and having opposite free end portions, means affixed to said end portions for securing the same together, elongated removable strap means affixed to said belt and extending transversely therefrom for connection to a pulling device to pull said belt when worn toward the feet of a person to apply pelvic traction, and a separate piece of soft material lining the surface of said pad covering said pockets and openings to face the back of a person and removably affixed to said surface to protect said pad and provide a nonabrasive skin contacting surface, said liner normally closing said pocket openings but being removable from said pad to uncover said openings and allow said stays to be removed from said pad.

2. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim 1 in which said strap means is wholly affixed to said back pad and is adapted to apply a single pulling force to said belt! for single-pull applications of said belt.

3. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim 1 in which said strap means comprises two straps respectively affixed at at least one end thereof to portions of said band means on opposite sides of said back pad and adapted to apply two pulling forces to said belt for double-pull applications of said belt.

4. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim 1 in which said securing means comprises pile material for a fabric fastener affixed to one free end portion of said band means and hooking material for a fabric fastener aflixed to the opposite free end portion of said band means.

5. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim I in which said pad comprises a layer of felt and a layer of duck sewn together to form said pockets between the same, said felt layer being covered by said liner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION February 9, 1971 Patent No. 3 561 ,434 Dated Robert Kilbey Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 1, line 6, cancel "conversely" and substitute convexly Signed and sealed this 22nd day of June 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer FQRM Po-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC c031 

1. A dual-purpose orthopedic belt comprising a back pad having first and second layers stitched along parallel lines forming a plurality of elongated pockets in said pad extending transversely of said pad, elongated relatively stiff stays in said pockets for bracing said pad, said stays comprising rigid strips curved conversely between the middle and one end thereof and curved concavely between the middle and the other end thereof to cause said pad to conform to the back of a person at the lumbosacral area, said pockets being open at an upper end thereof to allow said stays to be removed from said pockets, elastic band means affixed to said back pad and extending from opposite marginal sides thereof transversely of said stays so that said band means and said back pad form a belt adapted to be wrapped about the pelvic region of a person with said back pad abutting against the back of the person at his lumbosacral area, said elastic band means being stretchable to conform to the body of the wearer and having opposite free end portions, means affixed to said end portions for securing the same together, elongated removable strap means affixed to said belt and extending transversely therefrom for connection to a pulling device to pull said belt when worn toward the feet of a person to apply pelvic traction, and a separate piece of soft material lining the surface of said pad covering said pockets and openings to face the back of a person and removably affixed to said surface to protect said pad and provide a nonabrasive skin contacting surface, said liner normally closing said pocket openings but being removable from said pad to uncover said openingS and allow said stays to be removed from said pad.
 2. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim 1 in which said strap means is wholly affixed to said back pad and is adapted to apply a single pulling force to said belt- for single-pull applications of said belt.
 3. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim 1 in which said strap means comprises two straps respectively affixed at at least one end thereof to portions of said band means on opposite sides of said back pad and adapted to apply two pulling forces to said belt for double-pull applications of said belt.
 4. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim 1 in which said securing means comprises pile material for a fabric fastener affixed to one free end portion of said band means and hooking material for a fabric fastener affixed to the opposite free end portion of said band means.
 5. The orthopedic belt as claimed in claim 1 in which said pad comprises a layer of felt and a layer of duck sewn together to form said pockets between the same, said felt layer being covered by said liner. 